Cracking oils



Patented Feb. 10, 1931 A 1,791,562

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE rnrrz normarm AND CARL WULFF, or nnnsna'trfennmy cnaomne one No Drawing. Application filed November 26, 1928, Serial No. 322,082, and in Germany November 27, 1927.

This invention relates to an improved procof halides of boron be subjected to cooling ess for cracking oils. substantially only the hydrocarbon is con- It is known, that the thermal decomposidensed. Boron fluoride can be removed from tion of hydrocarbons in the presence of aluliquid hydrocarbons by simply passing an ininium chlorid leads to valuable products. inert gas therethrough. The advantage of 55 This process is carried out on an industrial working with a halide of boron is further scale in the cracking of oils. The catalytic particularly apparent when working in the action of ferrous chlorid and of ferric chlorid gaseous phase, since gases and liquids can be i have also been made use of in the said process. far more uniformly distributed than solids. We have now found that the halides of The gaseous or liquid state of the said coinc0 boron, namely, the compounds of boron with pounds of boron also renders them particufluorine, chlorine, iodine or bromine, or the larly suitable for regeneration. addition or substitution products of these By cracking oils in the presence of the said compounds are particularly excellent catahalides of boron, in particular in the presence lysts for. the cracking of hydrocarbons. of hydrogen, it is possible to convert products v When the said catalysts are employed, a parof high boiling point range into benzines of ticularly good yield of valuable hydrocarasaturated character which contain only very bons is obtained and only very small amounts little sulfur. The reaction products of highof gaseous hydrocarbons, such-as methane, or er boiling points thus obtained are distinof carbon "deposits are produced. That the guished by having only a very low bromine 70 said halides of boron or the addition or subnumber. stitution products of the said compounds The process of cracking may be carried out could be employed as catalysts in cracking under known conditions, for example at temprocesses, was very surprising, since hitherto peratures of about 250 to 800 C. It may the halides of boron were only employed as also be advantageous to add other gases; such 7 catalysts facilitating polymerization, that is as hydrogen or gases capable of supplying to say, in reactions in which compounds of hydrogen or containing it, such as gaseous hylower molecular weight were converted into drocarbo'ns or water'vapor, or nitrogen. The such of higher molecular weight. The crack' cracking process may also be carried out at ing of oils, is however a reaction in which elevated pressure. 80

substances of higher molecular weight are The followingexample will further illussplit into such of lowermolecular weight. trate the pature of the said invention, but the Wherever the expression halides of boron invention is not limited thereto. is employed in the present specification, it is also intended to include the addition and substitution products of the said compounds. 1000 parts by weight of a crude Kmineral The fact, that the said compounds 'of boron oil boiling above 300 C. are cracked in a presare ases or liquids at atmospheric pressures, sure vessel with an addition of 5 per cent ren ers them far more suitable for employof boron-fluoridunder a pressure of hydro- 0 ment in cracking than aluminium chlorid, gen of 150 atmospheres and at a temperature 90 which is a solid, at atmospheric temperature, of 380C. When Working up-the distillate, since the halides of boron can therefore be reabout 75 per cent of the product are recovmoved by moderate heating, whereas aluminered in theform of an oil boiling up to 250 ium chloride can only be vaporized at com- 0. and 15 er cent thereof are recovered in para'tively high temperatures. Furthermore, the form 0 a highly viscous lubricating oil, 95 if a mixture of the vapours of hydrocarbons both products having only a low content of and aluminium chloride be sub'ected to consulfur and a low bromine number. Only densation both the hydrocaron and the small amounts of methane and carbon dealuminium. chloride are condensed whereas, posits are produced.

Example 85 ifa mixture of vapours of hydrocarbons and The process of the present invention is I W0 applicable for cracking hydrocarbons from our hands.

any source.

What we claim is v 1. A rocess for the production of valu-- able hy rocarbons of low boiling point range which comprises cracking a hydrocarbon oil, in the presence of a halide of boron.

2. A process for the production of valuable hydrocarbons of low boiling point range, which comprises cracking a hydrocarbon oil in the presence of a halide of boron while adding a gas supplying hydrogen.

3. A process for the production of Valuable hydrocarbons of low boiling point range,

which comprises cracking a hydrocarbon oil in the presence of boron fluoride while adding a gas supplying hydrogen. 4. A process for the production of valuable hydrocarbons of low boiling point range,

which comprisescracking a hydrocarbon oil under pressure 1n the presence of 'a hal1deof boron while adding a gas supplying hydrogen r J 5. A process forthe production of valuable hydrocarbons of low boiling point range which comprises cracking a hydrocarbon oil in the presence of boron fluoride.

6. A process for the production of val able hydrocarbons of low boilingp'oint range which comprises cracking a hydrocarbon oil under pressure in the presence 7 of boron fluoride while adding a gas supplying hydrogen. I

7 The process of cracking crude mineral oils which comprises treating the said oils under a pressure of atmospheres .of

hydrogen and at a temperature of about 380 C. in the presence of boron fluorid.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto setin FRITZ HOFMANN a GARL 

